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THERE WILL BE a by-election for a vacant seat in the Seanad next month where the result is, barring something untoward happening, a foregone conclusion.
Labour candidate Mairia Cahill, an abuse victim who has been an outspoken critic of the republican movement, is set to take the seat vacated by Jimmy Harte.
But why is that so and who else is technically in the running? Let TheJournal.ie explain all…
Why is there a by-election?
Labour senator Jimmy Harte formally resigned his seat on the Seanad’s Commercial and Industrial Panel last month. The decision came two years after he sustained a serious head injury following a fall in Dublin.
The Donegal politician has spent the last two years recuperating but decided that he was not well enough to return to Leinster House and the vacancy he leaves has triggered a by-election.
How does that work?
If you thought it was unusual that only the Taoiseach, councillors and certain university graduates can elect people to the upper house, then you’ll be amazed that the electorate for a by-election is even smaller. Only members of the Oireachtas, i.e. every TD and Senator, can vote in a Seanad by-election.
Who are the candidates they can vote for?
As we outlined above, Labour has put forward Mairia Cahill. She has become a prominent figure in Irish public life over the last 18 months after she spoke to the BBC about the abuse she suffered in the republican movement and the botched handling of her allegations by senior figures, including Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.
For its part, Sinn Féin has put forward Meath county councillor Sinead Burke, a former mayor of Navan, to contest the by-election. Fianna Fáil has nominated Mayo-based GP Keith Swanick.
There’s also a familiar name among the candidates in Jerry Beades, a former Fianna Fáil member and spokesman for the New Land League, who is running as an independent.
Without the backing of a party, Beades needed the support of nine Oireachtas members. He got nominations from senators David Norris, Ronan Mullen, Feargal Quinn, Seán Barrett, Fidelma Healy-Eames, Mary-Ann O’Brien and Averil Power, as well as TDs Mattie McGrath and Michael Healy-Rae.
What about Fine Gael?
Given it was a seat occupied by a Labour senator, Fine Gael has said it is not putting forward a candidate and the party will instead throw its support behind the Labour nominee Cahill.
This is why her election is likely to be a foregone conclusion assuming all of the government TDs and Senators support Cahill in the secret ballot. It would be a bit embarrassing for the government otherwise.
Speaking of embarrassment, didn’t Fine Gael screw this up last year?
That’s right. You might recall the McNulty-gate scandal which concerned Fine Gael’s botched efforts to fill the seat vacated by newly-elected MEP Deirdre Clune.
The party nominated Donegal shop owner John McNulty for a vacant seat on the Cultural and Educational panel. However the failed Donegal local election candidate was placed on the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) at the last minute in order to boost his qualifications for the panel in question.
This led to accusations of cronyism on Fine Gael’s part and put particular scrutiny on new Arts Minister Heather Humphreys – who had appointed McNulty to the IMMA board – and the Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The controversy ran for weeks and saw McNulty eventually withdraw his candidacy and the Taoiseach was forced to apologise (sort of).
However, McNulty still appeared on the ballot papers and in the end, the reluctant candidate only narrowly lost out to independent Gerard Craughwell who now sits in the Seanad.
Cripes. So, what happens this year?
Nominations have now closed, there are four candidates and ballot papers will be delivered to TDs and Senators on 30 October.
They have a fortnight to decide who to vote for before the deadline of 13 November when the ballot papers will be collected, counted and a result declared.
What’s likely to happen?
It is a secret ballot, but given Fine Gael and Labour are publicly backing Mairia Cahill, it seems a dead cert that the new Labour party member will be sitting in the Seanad come the end of next month.
Maria Cahills candidacy is politically motivated. I reckon Labour are paying her big bucks.
A politicians election is politically motivated you may be right.
..is politically motivated…
The Seanad is a political forum, so what else would it be???
“How will everyone know I’m a doctor for my LinkedIn picture? I know, I’ll put a stethoscope around my neck.”
Office workers should hang a keyboard around their necks, just in case they get confused for doctors with modding stethoscopes.
Modding? Missing.
Everything you need to know about Irish Politics , Hugh you could have put that article on the back of a matchbox.
Ahh no reform in the Senate as promised by Enda and co. Shocker .
Political point scoring from FG/Lab, I have every sympathy for Maria Cahill and what she’s been through. But I don’t think she’s qualified enough to be a senator. There have to be candidates more qualified for the role. FG/Lab have nothing but contempt for the Irish people, using this for their own ends. Reform my arse.
It’s a total disgrace that she is a shoe in for this position. .as an irish citizen I certainly do not want someone of her caliber representing me in the seanad. It is a disgrace that she has wormed her way in through fg & labour backing just because she is anti Sf. An embarrassment of our modern day politics.
why are journalists obsessed with putting gate beside any hint of a scandal! (term journalist is used loosely) can they not use their own imagination or just say scandal
Ms Cahill, too Republican for Sinn Fein but right wing enough for Labour.
I believe all of the allegations made by M.Cahill, but I feel contempt for Labour and so I feel contempt for those who stand for the Labour Party.
I hear that Ms. Cahill is an enthusiastic supporter of water charges. So, she does share some political ideology with the Labour Party.
‘The party nominated Donegal shop owner John McNulty for a vacant seat on the Cultural and Educational panel. However the failed Donegal local election candidate was placed on the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) at the last minute in order to boost his qualifications for the panel in question.’
And the reason for this was, of course to provide the annointed Donegal candidate the necessary link to the panel to which he had been nominated.
In the case here, what link has Ms. Cahill to this panel?
The Commercial and Industrial Panel has a specific purpose, how does a General Practitioner, or a community worker have the experience necessary to fulfil the requirement?
In light of this, perhaps only a former construction professional has the necessary experience!
This sounds like a really important election to the Seanad ! Vacancy exists for a few months at most since general election is due. It’s hard to take those who engage in such games seriously! And these guys would love to be taken seriously!
Nothing changed.. Reformed my arse. We had chance to abolish Seanad and didn’t take it. We deserve the political despised we have. Another chance for change soon. I hope the electorate take take it..
Abolishing the Seanad was not the answer. Especially since the current govt have shown worrying abuse of power.
What we need is serious reform – making it more democratic in the filling of seats and also giving the House more teeth to counter-act a Dail/govt when they act against the people.
I have nothing against Miss. Cahill however, I don’t think she is qualified to serve a Senator on the Industrial and Commercial panel
The “secret ballot” in Seanad elections is a relative term. Seanad elections are by postal vote (a constitutional requirement) and the counting of the ballots is secret. However, it is common practice for party officials to demand to see a TD or senator’s ballot paper before they seal it in the envelope. This is to make sure that TDs and senators vote for the “right’ candidates.
proof?
Here’s an example of reporting of these kind of practices in Fine Gael during the McNulty affair:
- http://www.newstalk.com/reader/47.301/31887/0/
- http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/mcnulty-fiasco-shows-fgs-true-colours-and-makes-a-mockery-of-its-new-politics-30638814.html
I don’t believe it’s unique to Fine Gael and I heard of the practice before then.
The optics of this could hardly be worse. The current government has turned our republic into little more than a commercial enterprise for their friends, the best little country in the world to avoid tax, sorry, ‘do business’ in. Now a vacancy arises on the industrial and commercial panel, and they hand it to a republican dissident.
The ultimate petty ‘Wrong answer, peasants’ on the Seanad vote, plus filth politics against their enemy.
We need this shower gone.
that fact that it annoys the shinners is reason enough :D
T.Clarke,you will be delighted the uvf’s Billy Hutchinson is in there fighting your corner “a lot of the loyalist communities feel left behind and alientated “.
See your not completely forgotten about,Billy will sort it and get you few new murals into the bargain.
Shinners will be on this like flies on s***t.. predictable personal assaults on Ms Cahill on the way.
And why not?
The Shinners are smart enough not to launch any personal attack against her. The would be political suicide given an upcoming general election and given how much embarrassment and negative publicity she has already caused them
I’m no shinner but what experiences or qualifications does she have that makes her a suitable candidate? Sweet FA. This is no more than political point scoring and FG trying to get one over SF
What experiences is she supposed to have to stand for democratic election? ‘i’m no shinner’ lol.
What experiences qualify someone to stand for election?
What experience did Marie Louise have ? Oh wait!
Saturday morning fun ..
Only a few short years ago Maria Cahill was a supporter and member of a dissident republican group who were anti Good Friday agreement.
FG and Labour have issues with SFs past but accept Ms Cahill in their fold. She has much more recent support for so call anti democratic agenda, the sole purpose is to keep the abuse agenda in the media and tar SF/Gerry Adams.
This is fierce low and full of hypocrisy by the government parties. Surely people can see thru the double standards?
Priceless an overall majority ha ha.
Shinners can do and say whatever they want. They’ve no chance of getting into government anyway.
I would advise anyone reflecting on Jerry Beades candidacy to read Waiting for the Sheriff by Tom Darcy. That book highlights the true brutality that lies at the heart this countries rotten relationship commerce and the law, between receivers and county registrars. Beades is an unlikely hero to many but that book reveals a man at the forefront of a national campaign that has genuine integrity. Read how children are literally walked over while their parents scream at heartless receivers. We need people like Jerry Beades not political naive puppets like Maria Cahill.
Why were Brian Ward’s, and my posts, correctly making a link between candidate Cahill to RNU, RNU and Oglaigh na hEireann and Oglaigh na hEireann member Adain Mackin removed?
This is information in the public domain, it’s really not for editors at the journal to remove such non demeaning posts since certainly I made no link between candidate Cahill and the murder, simply asking the question on her recent allegiances and the organisation which member murdered a Gard this week.
Joey you will find that there is an agenda on in the Journal that doesn’t like being contradicted. Over the last few days there have been outrageous posts in certain articles that were allowed to stay because they were an attack of republicanism even though they were totally untrue. Recent media reports have backed up the untruthfulness of these lies that were posted by people who gave no evidence to support their claims.
When someone does post a comment that is supported by research and backed up by links to articles in the public domain the Journal seems to take offence that people might actually be able to research a story without having to do a journalism course first, They seem to much prefer fake twitter and Facebook accounts that give one or two line sniping attacks, won’t back up their claims and won’t answer questions put to them. The general mantra seems to be that as long as it hits out at republicans who cares if it is lies or innuendo that is being spread by a few individuals using multiple accounts. Asking legitimate questions about the character of a candidate to the legislative functions of the State is apparently not allowed.
Apologies, I did not mean to speak for you Brian, simply that that particular post was a response supporting your primary posting.
This has been an issue for me previously but, nothing I, nor you, stated was defamatory, nor untrue, legitimate questioning of a, now, political candidate, if ‘the journal’ seeks to enable commentators to ‘make the news’ there is, in my opinion, no reason to remove legimitate, questionng, comment.
Brian I warned you after posting it that it will be deleted, even though it is the truth backed up by fact. It seems that this person is the same as Denis O’Brien on this site. Anything negative is deleted or the poster is banned yet wait until the next article about SF. The same few posters will be allowed to post all sorts of crap without any proof and is any of it deleted-not a hope in hell. What makes the Journal good is the interactions between posters but the blatant agenda is going to turn a lot of people off. Why does Hugh have a different rule on what is allowed to be said about an individual depending on who that person is?
Joey, I fully agree with what you say and indeed pjm was on the ball about my comment being deleted. The funny thing about it is that Hugh wrote an article http://www.thejournal.ie/mairia-cahill-homeless-in-debt-1748503-Oct2014/ almost a year ago that includes the lines,
“She said she was national secretary of the RNU for “a period of a few hours” in 2010 until she resigned the position although she continued to attend its meetings.”
So the question is now what is Hugh to do? Will he censor himself for saying exactly the same thing as we pointed out?
To be honest Brian I’d say Hugh will just have you banned as you are really showing him up here!
True pjm, I suppose I will have to join the ranks of the few commentators who set up multiple accounts ad nauseam every time they get booted off here. For instance there was one account booted off the other day and yet the same person was back posting within 10 minutes using a brand new twitter account. They are from the same IP address and spouting the same lies and innuendo but they are allowed to continue on for some reason. I suppose if you are coming from a FG agenda you are untouchable but God forbid if you have a dissenting view no matter how well backed up it is.
Again funnily enough in this article http://www.thejournal.ie/sinn-fein-mairia-cahill-seanad-2369330-Oct2015/ I repeated what I said earlier today and yet it was allowed to stay up on the article. Hugh was the writer of the article then as today yet for some reason the editorial policy has shifted. A diktat from Party HQ perhaps not to allow legitimate questioning of a FG/Lab backed appointee to the Commercial and Industrial Panel? The same appointee to the Panel that deals with Industry and Commerce has stated that ” she hopes to continue to highlight sexual violence, domestic abuse, rape and other social justice issues.” http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mairia-why-i-want-to-be-a-labour-senator-31580151.html All laudable aims however what has that got to do with Industry and commerce? Surely if a person were to pursue this sort of an agenda it should be through the Administrative Panel or one of the Universities.
RNU distanced themselves from Mackin long before recent events http://www.republicanunity.org/shameful-attempts-to-point-score-over-omeath-tragedy/
This isn’t an election it’s just another political appointment. A foregone conclusion. Nothing really changes in Irish politics???
Cahill’s nomination makes a mockery of the Irish people and the seanad.
You neglected to mention the fact that Ms Cahill is a former member of a dissident republican group it would have looked good on her CV as such groups are involved in for example diesel laundering and some might argue that this is a commercial activity
“Mairia Cahill. She has become a prominent figure in Irish public life over the last 18 months after she spoke to the BBC about the abuse she suffered in the republican movement and the botched handling of her allegations by senior figures, including Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.”
BUT IT WAS HER UNCLE WHO RAPED HER? Wasn’t it…
HOW DESPERATE IS LABOUR THEN?
“BUT IT WAS HER UNCLE WHO RAPED HER? Wasn’t it…”
She talked unceasingly to the all media about it, met the Taoiseach about it, raged at SF about it……..and after all that effort wouldn’t enter the court house to get a conviction. Something smells.
Maria Cahill does not have the courage of her convictions. If she can’t be bothered standing up for herself why would she stand up for others.
She should not be in the running to be a Senator.
I think Labour is using her because she was a victim of rape to score points against Sinn Fein but what does that say about Labour who uses a victim of rape by her uncle. Labour isn’t shy about using victims for what they want, is that not disgusting also?
Because she might still be in denial about it still, rapists sometimes rape to feel and to have control over another. Until she gets that back she will still be a victim but with all the anger she has I do not think she feels that she has. Until then I do not think she will be a good politician as anger will rule her thinking, she might be using this as a way to feel more in control of herself but it will be the sympathy vote she will get.
She needs to deal with the rape and get closure in one way or other and make the rapist pay for what he did and tackle the core rather than finding ways to deal with it through other methods that don’t deal with it but only is done due to how it has effected her?
A person like her would want in my view revenge on the rapist and when Sinn Fein didn’t do that for a woman like her so I believe, that she might be angry at Sinn Fein for this as well. I do not know her or what she thinks, I think the rape cast a long shadow and Labour is using a victim and that is not right in my view but I could be wrong.
Disgraceful.
a prominent figure in Irish public life over the last 18 months after she spoke to the BBC about the abuse she suffered in the republican movement ‘.
There is another problem with reporting in this story.
Maria Cahill has stated she suffered sexual abuse as a child, and our sympathies should rightly go to her for this however, Jerry Beades, another candidate for this election has stated the same, why did the article Fail to mention this too?
This story from the Endapendent is quite interesting http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/beades-criticises-labour-for-cynical-use-of-abuse-victim-mairia-cahill-34117472.html
“Mr Beades, himself a victim of sexual abuse as a 15-year-old schoolboy, has said Labour has sought to “use and abuse” Maria Cahill in this way, purely for political gain.”
“In response, a Labour Party spokesman said Ms Cahill is an excellent candidate and the party is looking forward to the campaign. “I wouldn’t worry what a former Fianna Failer would say about her.”
Obviously Fail Fail abuse victims are of no interest to Labour.
not sure what Beades knows of the law….
More than Frances Fitzgerald.
Meanwhile over on Twitter, Ms Cahill is busy throwing accusations around about Joe McCullough. Putting his life in danger. She refused to give him the opportunity to clear his name in court but can now say and do what she likes and no one particularly the compliant media the Labour party and most of the other politicians in the Dáil and Seanad are challenging her assertions.
Jerry Beades, from the “New Land League”, the same Jerry Beades from the Gorse Hill Killinney – Bank of Ireland furore. Mairia Cahill, an abuse victim and member of the Republican Network for Unity dissident group, using Labour, or they are using her, whichever. A county councillor for Meath and a GP. Is this for real. What a joke.
It’s akin to Caligula making his horse a senator. Just because he could.
Thank God this is back.
So, what has Maria Cahill, the nominee for our second party of Government got which makes her a more ideal candidate than the others?
Can she, indeed, all candidates openly state they have never been members of any organisation which seeks to undermine the State, kill our citizens or ignore the democratically expressed mandate of all Irish people expressed in 1998?
The first role of government is maintainable of the ‘State’ not the citizens, perhaps the Labour party could advise why they are seeking legal advice on the restatement of information, already in the public domain, from it’s source within dissident Republicanism, put forward by another candidate, while at the same time, ensuring their candidate will not speak to anyone?
Ms. Cahill plays the victim card whenever she does appear, so do her handlers, there are other victims, do they play for sympathy or, do they play the political game?
Let’s look at what we’ve potentially got here.
Dr. Swannick, unheard of, unknown outside his ward but, at least somewhat disconnected from the past of his political party, still, in my opinion, not dreadfully impressive unless answering stock questions on health.
Cllr. Burke, strikes me as a n other Sinn Fein wannabe, has though a more impressive CV than the aforementioned FF candidate in terms of political achievement.
Jerry Beades, comes across as a big mouth however, has put his money, or what’s left of it t, where his big mouth is and actually attempted to ensure Irish citizens are not evicted from their family homes, children do not go hungry etc. Has he the necessary experience, states he has as a business person so well placed to represent on the I&C panel.
The Labour candidate, once seen as a shoe in. Do we wish our public representatives to be recently very involved within an organisation which role is undermining the State? Do we wish an Oireachtas member whose party did not confirm the murders of GAA playing Irish citizens, simply because they chose to do a job protecting the public?
I hope our electorate in this contest can see the folly of what the populiust, albeit not popular, ILP front bench are asking them to do and rationally determine which candidate is best suited for the position as a law maker, and don’t worry, if Joes great niece does get the seat, expect the Irish media to go town on you with the truth.
have your say